PHYTOCHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF SCUTELLARIA BAICALENSIS GEORGI AND THE PHARMACOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF ITS BIOLOGICALLY ACTIVE FLAVONOIDS

Abstract

Currently, the search for biologically active substances from natural sources, the study of their chemical composition, and the assessment of the possibilities of using them to develop pharmaceutical preparations are of significant importance. Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, belonging to the family Lamiaceae, is of particular interest among medicinal plants as a rich source of various flavonoids. Its dried root is used in traditional Chinese medicine under the name Scutellariae Radix (Huang-Qin), and this medicinal raw material is included in the Chinese, European, and British Pharmacopoeias. The pharmaceutical significance of the plant is primarily associated with the specific composition of its flavonoids. Scientific literature identifies baicalin, baicalein, wogonin, wogonoside, oroxylin A, and other flavonoids as the main biologically active components of S. baicalensis. The activity of these compounds associated with inflammatory processes, oxidative stress, infectious processes, and other biological mechanisms makes them promising natural compounds for pharmaceutical research.